This invention relates to a lever apparatus for a vehicle, which includes an electrical component provided in a lever.
For example, in a certain conventional lever switch apparatus for operating a headlight of an automobile, a lever is provided in such a way as to project from a switch base that is provided in a vehicle steering column. An operating knob for operating the headlight is turnably provided at an end portion of the lever. Moreover, an intermediate knob for operating a fog lamp is turnably provided in a midway portion in an axial direction of the lever.
In this lever switch apparatus, a light switch to be operated by the operating knob is provided at a switch-base-side portion. A shaft is inserted through the inside of the lever. The operating knob is attached to an end portion of this shaft in such a way as to turn integrally with the shaft. The shaft is turned by performing an operation of turning the operating knob. A headlight switch is switched by a switch operating portion provided on a base-side portion of the shaft.
A fog lamp switch to be operated by the intermediate knob is provided in the inside of the lever. This fog lamp includes a stationary contact provided on a substrate, and a moving contact adapted to move integrally with the intermediate knob. A plurality of connecting terminals connected to the stationary contact are provided on the substrate of the electrical component. An end portion of each of lead wires is soldered to a corresponding one of the connecting terminals. The other end portion of each of the lead wires is passed through a corresponding one of relatively fine lead-wire insertion holes formed in a lower knob on the base-portion side of the lever, and led to the base-portion side (that is, vehicle-side) of the lever.
Incidentally, when lead wires are connected to the connecting terminals formed on the substrate of the fog lamp switch, which is an electrical component provided in the lever, in the apparatus of the aforementioned configuration, first, a plurality of lead wires are inserted into the lead-wire insertion holes formed in the lower knob in such a way as to pass therethrough. Subsequently, an end portion of each of the lead wires is soldered to a corresponding one of the connecting terminals of the substrate at the leading end portion of the lower knob. The substrate is attached to the lower knob while each of the lead wires is drawn back to the base-portion side of the lower knob. However, in the case of the aforementioned conventional apparatus, it is necessary to insert the lead wires of the fog lamp switch into the relatively fine lead-wire insertion holes formed in the lower knob. Such an inserting operation is troublesome. Assembly workability thereof is poor.
Further, another certain conventional apparatus reduces the length of the lead-wire insertion holes (that is, the length by which the lead wire is inserted therethrough) by providing a cutout in a part of the lower knob and leading the lead wires from the cutout. However, this conventional apparatus has drawbacks in that it is necessary to perform an operation of passing lead wires through the relatively fine lead-wire insertion holes, and that the cutout provided in the lower knob having a design face impairs the appearance thereof.
The invention is accomplished in view of the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a lever apparatus for a vehicle, which has an electrical component provided in a lever and which is enabled to enhance assembly workability thereof without impairing the appearance thereof.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A lever apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a lever base including a large-diameter portion provided at an intermediate portion in a axial direction thereof, an electrical component attaching portion provided at a part thereof, which is closer to an end portion thereof than the large-diameter portion, and a base-portion attached to the vehicle;
a lead wire guide portion provided in the large-diameter portion and opened in a radial direction of the lever base and at axial end parts thereof;
an electrical component including a connecting terminal, which is attached to the electrical component attaching portion;
a lead wire including an end part thereof connected to the connecting terminal, a midway portion disposed in the lead wire guide portion, and the other end part to be led to the vehicle; and
a cylindrical cover member for covering the whole of the large-diameter portion and the electrical component.
(2) The lever apparatus according to (1) further comprising:
a shaft portion, provided in a central portion of the lever base so as to pass therethrough in the axial direction, and including an engaging portion provided at an end-portion-side part thereof and a switch operating portion provided at a base-portion-side part thereof; and
an operating knob including a engaged portion, which is attached to an end part of the shaft portion by engaging the engaging portion with the engaging portion, and adapted to operate the switch operating portion through the shaft portion by a turning operation.
(3) The lever apparatus according to (2), wherein
the shaft portion is divided in an axial direction into a first shaft part, provided at the end-portion-side part to which the operating knob is attached, and a second shaft part, provided at the base-portion-side part including the switch operating portion,
a pair of engaging claws is provided in the first shaft part so as to be inserted through an engaging hole provided in the lever base and as to be engaged therein in a slip-off preventing state, and
an inserting piece portion to be inserted like a wedge between the pair of engaging claws, and a fitting portion to be fitted onto the pair of engaging claws from outside are provided at an end portion of the second shaft part.
When this lever apparatus is assembled, first, the lead wire is connected to the connecting terminal of the electrical component. Thereafter, when the electric component is attached to the electric component attaching portion of the lever base, the midway portion of the lead wire can be inserted through and disposed in the lead wire guide portion of the large-diameter portion. Subsequently, the cover member is attached to the exterior of the lever base in such a way as to cover the whole of the large-diameter portion and the electrical part. At that time, each of the lead wires connected to the connecting terminal is covered by the cover member.
According to the aforementioned lever apparatus of the invention, it is unnecessary to perform an operation of inserting lead wires through lead wire insertion holes. Thus, assembly workability can be enhanced. Further, because the large-diameter portion, the electric component, and the lead wires are covered by the cover member, it is unnecessary to form a cutout in the cover member. Consequently, the appearance of the apparatus is not impaired.
According to the aforementioned lever apparatus of the invention, the operating knob disposed at an end portion of the lever is attached to the shaft portion by engaging the engaged portion with the engaging portion. Thus, no additional member, such as a pin, is necessary for attaching the operating knob to the apparatus. Therefore, no additional member appears on the design face (that is, an exterior surface) of the apparatus. Consequently, the appearance thereof can be improved. Moreover, this can improve the user""s feeling obtained when the user""s finger abuts against the design face.
In the case of the lever apparatus of the aforementioned configuration, the operating knob is attached to an end part of the shaft portion, while the switch operating portion is provided at the base portion thereof. Therefore, when the apparatus has only one shaft, the shaft cannot be attached to the lever base. Thus, the shaft portion is divided in an axial direction into the first shaft part, which is provided at the end-portion-side part to which the operating knob is attached, and the second shaft part, which is provided at the base-portion-side part having the switch operating portion. Further, the pair of engaging claws is provided in the first shaft part in such a manner as to be inserted through an engaging hole provided in the lever base and as to be engaged therein in a slip-off preventing state. On the other hand, an inserting piece portion to be inserted like a wedge between the pair of engaging claws is provided at an end portion of the second shaft part, and a fitting portion to be fitted onto the pair of engaging claws from the outside. Thus, the first shaft part and the second shaft part are connected to each other in a state, in which the first and second shaft parts rotate as one unit, by attaching the first shaft part to the lever base in such a way as to prevent the first shaft part from slipping off therefrom.